The Miracle Is Attributed To Jesus’ Name
THE MIRACLE IS ATTRIBUTED TO JESUS’ NAME
ACTS 3:11-16
The power of Jesus and faith in him brought the man’s healing.
The sequel to “a notable sign” (4:16) gives Peter a chance to improve the occasion with a speech which, in this passage, explains the reason for this event. Disclaiming all personal kudos (3:12), he attributes all the glory to God. More specifically, the grounds of the miracle are:
This short section is rich in its teaching on God and his purposes in Christ. There is no disparity between God’s revelation in both Old Testament and New Testament—he is still “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob” to the New Testament writers as to our Lord (Mark 12:26). The person of Jesus is described in terms of Isaiah’s picture of the suffering servant 52:13–53:12), once humiliated but now exalted (Isaiah 52:13 in the Greek Old Testament uses the same word as 3:13). His other titles bear witness to his blameless character, and have parallels in Old Testament and in the Inter-Testamental literature which expected a Deliverer for Israel. A more obscure title is “the Author of life” (3:15) which is found again in Hebrews 2:10, which may suggest his eternal existence (as in John 5:26) or his ability to grant eternal life to his people (as in 1 John 5:11-12). Either way it is an expressive term, betraying a high estimate of his person; and in a paradox shows the wonder of his resurrection victory. “You killed him”—although he was the pioneer of life: “but God brought him back from death” (3:15). And he is still at work in healing the lame man.
Notes 3:11: Solomon’s colonnade lay to the east of the outer court, or court of the Gentiles, of the temple. 3:12: “stare,” a different word from that in 3:4. 3:13: a liturgical description of God, current in temple and synagogue worship. Possibly Peter had been reminded of it during the service. 3:13: “Servant,” admittedly the Greek word could mean “child” (as RSV margin), but the reference to Isaiah 52–53 seems clear. 3:16: a verse which in its obscurity shows that it is a translation from Peter’s original Aramaic language. “Prince of life” in 3:15 can equally mean in Aramaic “Prince of salvation,” which includes both bodily health and spiritual renewal.